


i can never go back home again

by SeoulWings13



Series: LiT - Wyld/Jaewon Centric [3]
Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Death, Fire, Gen, Ghosts, Promises, Running, Running Away, Spirits, The Author Regrets Nothing, Walking, rey why did you write this, smoke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28681818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeoulWings13/pseuds/SeoulWings13
Summary: Fire ate everything.
Relationships: Ahn Jaewon | Wyld & Everyone
Series: LiT - Wyld/Jaewon Centric [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167341
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	i can never go back home again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [i_was_human](https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/gifts).



> Suki, dear Suki, you are so sweet. You're constantly bookmarking everything and you introduced me to this song, which I love to death, like What?? You're so so so so encouraging and everything. Ilysm :)
> 
> Song: Masterpiece Theatre III
> 
> Original title: Rey needs to write a one-shot or she'll go crazy. this is a gift for suki bc suki is precious and bookmarks everything :D

Home was gone. Home was destroyed. Jaewon had watched it burn. It was painful, the only existence he had reduced to ash under the stress of orange flames. If there was beauty in destruction, Jaewon now knew. Watching his city burn in front of him was the hardest thing he had ever experienced, but now his home was rubble. He ran to the spot his house once stood and dug through the rubble. He hadn't seen anyone he knew come out of the building before it had collapsed. 

Bits of wood were thrown around until he happened upon a body. It was barely breathing, but the silver-haired male was alive. Jaewon felt splinters in his hands and his nails breaking. Minsoo was alive. Minsoo could be saved. He heaved and dragged the body out, coughing from the smoke. Once he was sure Minsoo was alright, Jaewon went back. 

Plumes of ash rose to covered his face as he discovered Daehyun. The lanky body of the younger lay in peace. Daehyun was dead. The fire had consumed the area around him, but it was the smoke that had killed the boy. Jaewon still dug him out to lay beside Minsoo. There was nothing he could do to him but bury him properly. 

Dongho was discovered, shielding Boba. After concluding Dongho was no longer among the land of the living, Jaewon broke into sons. The cat was mewling helplessly and Jaewon picked it up. As he stroked its fur, warmth left the small body. One tiny mew was heard from the cat and then silence. Boba was gone. Boba was dead. Dongho had tried to at least ensure the life of his cat, but smoke and ash had claimed the cat's ninth life. 

Dongho and Boba were laid next to Daehyun and Minsoo. After sitting Minsoo up and massaging his back, Jaewon broke into a fit of coughs. It so was incredibly hard to breathe in the smog covered area. He hoisted Minsoo up helping him move to an area with cleaner air, the older male also struggling to breathe. The cool air felt good on Jaewon's face and he turned to go and fetch Daehyun, Dongho, and Boba. 

He was struggling for air and guilt. So much guilt. If only he'd been home that night. If only he'd been allowed to save them. It was Jaewon's fault. He wasn't there when they needed him. He had been struggling to support the small family by bringing home food only to find the city alight. The authorities hadn't let him run into his house and save anyone. It was all his fault. His fault.

Minsoo helped Jaewon bury the bodies. Dongho was buried hugging his cat. It was only right. Daehyun was buried right next to them. A tear tracked its way through the ash on his face. Jaewon turned to see Minsoo keeled over, wheezing. Minsoo was struggling to get air in his lungs; the ash clogging his windpipe and filling his lungs. Jaewon moved from pushing earth over the bodies to the older. 

He lay Minsoo flat on his back, unsure of what to do. Minsoo was coughing so hard blood was erupting from his mouth. Jaewon had never been so scared before. He clung to the older, Minsoo hugging him back just as tightly. 

"Jaewon, survive for us. Okay?"

The last cough of black speckled red ripped its way from Minsoo's mouth.

-

_"i just need a minute, i just need a breath... slow down, it's better in the worst way, it's getting better in the worst way."_

-

Jaewon pushed earth over a third body. He was so tired of living here. He couldn't stay in this area any longer, but this place wasn't home. He coughed, trying to hold down the panic in his breath. He wasn't going to die yet, Minsoo had asked him to survive, but there was something he needed to remember the boys of. Something shiny glinted in the grass. It was Boba's collar, the charred material unable to hold the metal tag. Jaewon rubbed the pad of his thumb over the metal, finding his name, Minsoo's, and Dongho's engraved on the back.

He slipped it in his pocket and began walking. 

There was no reason to stay here anymore. He pushed himself to keep moving, now asthmatic lungs struggling for air. The air was cleaner than down below as he took each plodding step. There was no point in staying. He repeated that to himself as every cell in his body wanted to turn back and lay at the graves. 

There was no orange as he continued to walk, just open green and blue. The occasional patches of wildflowers and fruit trees only added to the beauty of the area around him. The rain beat down and he welcomed it. The sheets of water cleansed the ash off his skin and clothes and cleaned the air. When the clouds cleared, Jaewon was amazed to see the shimmering beads on everything. It was so beautiful.

He let out a shout. A pure sound of raw emotion. The smoke had damaged his throat. His voice was deeper and raspier than before, but it felt like he was walking his burdens off. He kept walking towards the sun, every footstep dragging him closer to the impossible goal. Jaewon just needed to be further and further from the bodies. 

Months passed, Jaewon living off of whatever fruit and water he could find. Jaewon was still walking. His hair was tickling his back now. His shoes were worn through. But he kept moving forward. He passed other families and cities here and there, but the uncolonized land was soft underneath his feet. 

Boba's charm was tarnished from being rubbed so often. 

Jaewon's lungs heaved as he fought for another breath. 

And then, the breath came easy. As did the next. 

He looked behind him, seeing his body slumped over on the ground. That would mean- 

Three ghosts and a cat were waiting for him. Jaewon ran towards them, diamond tears leaking from his eyes. 

-

_"i've been here so very long and i could slip into you, it's so easy to come back into you."_

\- 

It was a young family who found and buried Jaewon's body, the tag clutched tightly in his palm. No matter how far away his burial place was from his family's they were together. No matter what. Sometimes, the locals told storied of five little ghosts partying. The locals weren't wrong. The five spirits were together, at last.

**Author's Note:**

> And they kept walking...
> 
> nah, it's a semi-happy ending. :P


End file.
